Graham and The Band Upstairs – “Home To You” [Song Review]

Atlanta, Georgia-based folk outfit Graham and The Band Upstairs recently dropped their new single, “Home To You,” a song about the intricacies and ache of relationships.

Guitarist/vocalist Graham Waldrop explains, “I’ve always liked songs that feature juxtaposition. ‘Girl’ by The Beatles is one of the finest examples of this where the melody and Lennon’s vocals create this sweet bed of breathing grass that you want to just wrap yourself up in. But when you actually listen to the lyrics you realize that the song is anything but sweet. There’s a bitterness behind the lyricism that creates this incredible contrast with the music.”

He goes on, “That’s what we tried to do with ‘Home To You.’ We tell a story about someone navigating a complex relationship while Jeff (Jeff Dei Dolori, our lead guitarist) hooks the audience in with these fantastic, ethereal guitar licks, and Veronica (Veronica Roman, our backing vocalist) and I try to evoke a similar sweetness with our vocals.”

Made up of Alex Waldrop (bass), Zach Strum (kick drum), Veronica Roman (vocals), Jeff Dei Dolori (lead guitar), and Graham Waldrop (guitar, vocals), Graham and The Band Upstairs’ sound is reminiscent of Neil Young and Bob Dylan, merging elements of folk, blues, and folk-rock.

“Home To You” opens on low-slung strumming guitars topped by Waldrop’s tender, velvety voice, imbuing the lyrics with heavy wistfulness. Dei Dolori’s scintillating guitar gives the tune glowing intonations, tinted by hints of Spanish aromas.

“I don’t know why I bother doing what you ask me to / I guess it’s ‘cause you know I’ll always come home to you / Home to you / Home to you.”

Tragically scented, “Home To  You” slides on gentle leitmotifs as the lyrics tell a tale of secret heartache and emotional separation.

Graham and The Band Upstairs

Run Time: 4:16
Release Date: February 3, 2023
Record Label: Chill Beast Records